DBTA Case Study on Data Optimization | September 2008
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Greg Keller explains that database performance is critical for businesses because slow response times, even if operations don't fail, can negatively impact businesses with high transaction volumes. The most common issue impacting performance is over-utilization. While native database tools help with performance monitoring and issue resolution, they are inconsistent across different database platforms, making it difficult for DBAs managing multiple database types. Profiling technology that visually displays system operations could help DBAs more quickly identify and address performance problems.
DBTA Case Study on Data Optimization | September 2008
- 1. Solutions for the Information Project Team • www.dbta.com Volume 22, Number 3 • September 2008 Making Peak Performance a Reality for Today's Databases In increasingly complex enterprise environ- formance issues often takes time. to optimize the database design up front? ments, the standard approaches to keeping Keller: Categorically, a DBA's ability to resolve Keller: More than anything else, poor data databases running at peak performance fall an issue must be measured in hours, if not models are the greatest violator to database short, especially when multiple types of minutes. If one errant process is executing in a performance! What typically occurs is that a databases are present. Greg Keller, chief greater than sub-second response and repeat- design is received by a developer from a data evangelist for DatabaseGear Products at ed thousands of times a day, this spells disas- architect who is less savvy with database Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. explains why ter for a business within a single 9-to-5 work- performance, but is applying the data model database performance is important to the ing day. rules verbatim as the "business" sees it - not business, and describes new solutions that how the application needs to see it. That keep data environments running at peak per- Q: Could database managers benefit from design is taken as gospel by the development formance at all times. the kind of profiling technology to analyze team, and implemented nearly "as is." You performance issues that has been avail- end up with table joins that can grind queries Q: Why is database performance so able to software developers? to a halt, or are unable to determine where important to the business? Keller: Java and C++ developers have had critical indexes should be applied. So tooling Keller: Response time of applications could lit- sophisticated code profiling technology for a to help examine the schema before it is erally, not figuratively, make or break some decade or more. It’s a complex affair, so the implemented to provide design guidance to businesses. Think Wall Street, and the hun- most successful implementations require very ensure performance is a must. dreds of thousands of transactions that occur clear visualization of the profiled code - or between brokers and customers. An operation database in our case. In other words, graphi- Q: There's a trend where DBAs are put- doesn't have to fail to be a drag on the busi- cally displaying all operations executing can ting more onus back on developers to ness. It may execute in longer than sub-second draw the eye to the suspect or likely gross vio- write code and perform database func- rates, and when compounded by the hundreds lators of the waits. From here, the DBA needs tions, freeing up DBAs for required of thousands of times a day it executes, hours to be able to examine the activity metrics of SLAs. How can DBAs trust that what on the day are lost. And with it more transac- the suspect operation, including explain plans they get from the developers will be tions, and even closed businesses. to gauge the "cost" to the database. It has to "good" code? be visual to ultimately reduce the "noise" and Keller: DBAs now are becoming less special- Q: What is the most common issue imped- help the DBA or developer immediately see the ized and more generalized across many sys- ing database performance? problem. tems and databases. Companies have fewer Keller: Over-utilization. human resources and more systems to man- Q: How would such a visual tool be age, and therefore need to ensure that code Q: Aren't the native tools provided by implemented in a database environment? is written correctly up front, not after the RDBMS vendors enough? Keller: Tools like this should be "production- fact. The problem is developers also need Keller: Therein lies the major issue. Some worthy." In other words, they should cause no knowledge on all of the platform nuances to native tools are enough, and some aren't. There impact to the system vis-à-vis the operations it write highly performant code. They can is a major inconsistency across these tools. needs to run in order to profile the SQL. They achieve these skills by studying the vendor's DBAs, who in our surveys are typically manag- should not install anything on the systems they resources, but this can be time-consuming ing two to three database "types" - Oracle, SQL need to examine. No packages, procedures, or and may require them to learn more than one Server, DB2, and so forth - need consistency to code of any kind. No intrusion. The product database platform. A better option is to rely ensure optimal job productivity. Further, and should be available to all the DBAs to "point on productivity tooling that shows them how more importantly, consistency on the "depth" and shoot" and get reliable information back in to write this "pre-optimized" code as they and validity of the diagnosis is absolutely criti- minutes, so decisions can be made quickly. type it. Clearly, this is the fastest way. cal. DBAs need precision in analysis consistent- ly across all of the platforms they oversee. Q: Performance may not always be an Q: What are the benefits to the business issue of hardware or SQL. How can of having higher-performing databases? Q: Tracing and resolving database per- developers and DBAs work more closely Keller: The benefits range from internal to 1 Database Trends and Applications September 2008 Subscribe today at www.dbta.com/subscribe
- 2. Making Peak Performance a Reality for Today's Databases external with all points leading to positive the key to success in meeting business C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N results for the business. Internally speaking, objectives. optimized databases will reduce physical resources and assist with consolidation plan- ning and virtualization. Reducing end-user Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. empowers wait time frustrations ultimately ensures that application developers and database profes- DBAs meet their prescribed SLAs. Externally, sionals with tools to design, build, and run 100 California Street, 12th Floor partners of systems interfacing via Web serv- software applications in the environment San Francisco, CA 94111 ices making calls to database systems will they choose. A community of more than three Phone: 415.834.3131 also benefit from processing optimization on million worldwide and 90 of the Fortune 100 Fax: 415.434.172 the database (and application server). Beyond rely on Embarcadero CodeGear and Email: info@embarcadero.com business process improvements such as DatabaseGear product lines to increase pro- www.embarcadero.com workflow and execution engine implementa- ductivity, openly collaborate, and be free to tions, pre-optimization of database assets is innovate. 2 Database Trends and Applications September 2008 Subscribe today at www.dbta.com/subscribe